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Dragons
Dragons are a race of sapient, magical creatures that had nearly brought the world to ruin. However, they are believed to be extinct for almost five hundred years, save for their lesser and more bestial kin. The only remnants of the pure-blooded and high dragons are their skeletal remains, items fashioned from their body parts, and the ruins of their Aeries scattered across the Whrelzwth mountains. Appearance A true dragon resembles an extremely large reptilian. It possesses a muscular body, a long, thick neck, spiny crests running down their backs, a horned or frilled head with a mouthful of jagged teeth, and a sinuous tail used both as a weapon and control for propulsion. They stride on four powerful legs with clawed feet, and take to the skies using a combination of both magic and huge, bat-like wings. A dragon's eye has a comparatively large iris with a vertical pupil, allowing it to open extremely wide and see more than an unaided human could ever hope to. Its mouth features powerful jaws, a forked tongue, and countless rows of sharp teeth, all of which vary according to the dragon's age. Its four feet resemble those of a bird. Each foot possesses three or four clawed toes facing forwards, with an additional toe set further back on the foot, facing inward towards the body like a human's thumb. Though not truly prehensile, a dragon can grasp objects or other creatures with its front feet, provided they are large enough to seize hold of. Some dragons have been noted to carry livestock and beasts of burden for leagues without visible sign of exhaustion. A dragon's scales are keratinous, similar to its spines, and are attached to its hide in overlapping patterns. The largest scales can be found on the dragon's neck, underbelly, toes and tail. The smaller (and majority) scales cover the rest of its body, forming a natural armor that nothing short of magic or a powerful missile can penetrate.These scales grow slowly throughout its lifetime, but fast enough to replace a chipped or damaged scale. Their color varies depending on sire, environment, or even mood in the most drastic cases. The most notable distinction, however, is its heart, which constantly emits light from its chest. Similar to human sorcerers, dragons have Sparks and are able to cast magic. However, its Spark is a physical manifestation, not a spiritual imprint, which means the dragon's core is that by which it not only casts magic, but also its most vital organ. Destroying a Spark will almost certainly kill a dragon, and damaging it can cause their magic to become unstable. Characteristics Due to their Sparks, dragons emanate great heat from their bodies, even from those who do not necessarily breathe fire. Reproduction Dragons lay eggs to reproduce, sharing only a scant few commonalities between broods. Common throughout all dragon eggs is the scaled, chitinous shell that serves to protect the developing wyrm, but all other characteristics are determined by the mother. A particularly large dragon may lay eggs each weighing a stein or more. As the wyrm develops within the shell, the color of the egg will slowly change color, turning from a uniform milky white to the color its scales will be upon hatching. Due to a lack of sexual dimorphism, it is extremely difficult to tell the sex of a given dragon as they have no external sex organs. Males and females both grow at a similar rate, with little to no difference in vestigial growths or appearances other than those already indicative of brood and bloodline. Grand Magister Lucius Apelles, who accompanied Baldir Dragonsbane in his adventures, noted that a dragon's voice is the quickest, albeit sometimes unreliable, method, of determining a dragon's sex. For example, Drathil was noted to have a higher and more nasal voice than her liege, Horned King Malifaax, who in turn caused mountains to shake when he spoke. Dragons are notoriously virile, and are capable of mating with several species outside of their own kind. However, unions between reptiles are the only ones capable of producing viable offspring. These are the Demidragons, who are more often than not sired by lesser and more bestial dragons who are unable to find mates among their own kind. Demidragons Demidragons, or dragonkin, are sub-species of dragons that survived the end of the Dragonic War and the subsequent Dragonspyre that shortly came after. Unlike their sapient forefathers, demidragons are wilder and more feral, possess no Spark or any other means to cast magic, and may not have a breath weapon depending on the species. However, they are just as dangerous without those, and it would be a fool's errand to underestimate even the weakest of them all. Notable demidragons include: * Drakes - The closest to true dragons with two legs and two wings, and perhaps the most dangerous because of them. Drakes can be found around the continent of Kaithe, but favor areas with an immediate supply of food and an immediate * Linnorns - Wingless, serpentine reptiles of savage violence. Most commonly found in the icy north, and along the islands, inlets, lakes and rivers that lead towards the ocean. These monstrous beasts are the cruelest of demidragons, and take sadistic pleasure in tormenting their prey. * Wyverns - Small, horse-sized reptilians found both in the wilds and in the hatcheries of Suthyae. Four hundred years ago, the Suthyen King, then Prince Harald the Longfang, tamed the wyvern Agnar, and rode it into battle against Jörm of the Frozen Sea, an ancient Linnorn plaguing the Vlennish kingdoms. History Beyond the Maelstrom The first mention of dragons came from when the Vethics landed their arks on the eastern shores of the modern-day Aderaveth at the eve of the Age of Gilded Dreams. Dragons are said to be natives of the land beyond the Maelstrom, choked and scorched earth barely capable of sustaining life. The humans that inhabited the Aeuldworld lived under their tyranny as slaves and laborers, ordered to pay tribute to their glittering hordes and construct their sprawling Aerie-Cities.